The Wager (Kuroko no Basket)

Phase 5: Getting to Know Her

I sigh as I catch my breath on the side of the road. I hate this feeling- the feeling that makes me want to just give up and go home. I glance at my watch. I suppose that I can stop here today though. I've hit my minimum quota. I let out a deep sigh. "Eh? Kimikocchi?" an all too familiar voice asks from behind me. Great, just the person I didn't want to see me running. I turn around to find just the person I was expecting to see. "Are you... training?" he asks.

"Well, something like that," I reply with a sigh. Damn. I already spend all school week talking to him. Can't I get one day of rest? He looks confused. I sigh again. "I suppose that if it's you, I don't mind explaining. Are you free right now?" He nods, so we head into a park nearby and I sit down on a bench with him. "It's a fairly long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" I ask.

"Of course!" he replies.

"Alright," I reply. "I warned you though." I take in a deep breath. "When I was a kid, I was kind of sick. There was a problem with my lungs, or something like that. I don't think that it was such a serious condition, but I remember my parents and even my grandparents flipping out about it. They were so worried that they were willing to send me to the U.K. to live in a farm with one of my grandparents' old friends." I laugh wryly. "Can you imagine that? They were so worried that they'd send their seven-year-old daughter to live with complete strangers in a foreign country."

"You lived in the U.K.?" Kise asks.

I nod. "For almost seven years," I reply. "I ended up liking it there so much that I stayed a while longer than necessary, but that's not the point." I shake my head. "When I was there for the first few years, I kept getting babied. Everyone treated me like I was a flower whose petals would scatter with even the slightest breeze. It irritated me." I frown. "I'm not some leech that has to rely on people around me because I can't do anything on my own. It made me realize that I don't want to have to reply on other people like that. I never want to have to rely on someone else." I sigh. "It annoyed me the other day when I was running after you and I couldn't keep up, so I started training myself."

Kise looks at me curiously. "Don't you think that it's alright to rely on other people every once in a while though?"

I shake my head. "I don't plan on burdening anyone else with my problems anymore," I reply. "My dream is to attend Cambridge and become a doctor so that I can support myself after I get out of school."

"Why Cambridge?" Kise asks.

"It's silly, but my grandfather and my father went there, so it's kind of like a tradition," I reply. "Besides, I like it in England."

"Ehh? So you've got everything planned out already," Kise says. "That's pretty amazing, but I guess that you seem like the type of person to do that."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I reply. I sigh and lean back on the bench. It's quiet between us for a while. I turn to Kise as a thought comes to mind. "Sorry. I went on a bit of a rant back there. I didn't mean to say as much as I did."

He shakes his head. "It's fine," he replies. "Admitting things like that is relying on other people, and since I'm your future boyfriend, it's fine." He grins at me.

He's got a point there. I am relying on him in a way. The realization causes me to wince a just the slightest bit. "D-Don't be silly. You're being too full of yourself again," I reply. "Anyways, I'm going home." I sigh. "Today was supposed to be the one day a week I don't see you."

"You're so mean!" Kise whines.

"I kind of brought this upon myself though, huh?" I say with a shake of my head. I look at him and consider inviting him to join me for a while longer. Before I really realize it myself, I find myself replying, "Fine. Come on." He grins at me and starts to walk me home. I can't believe this. There might be something wrong with me. I turn to Kise as he walks with me. He's got that huge grin plastered on his face again. "I've been wondering, Kise," I start.

He turns to me and looks at me questioningly. "What is it?"

"Why did you ask me out? I won't lie, this isn't the first time I've been asked out before, but I've never even heard of something asking another person out just after they met," I say. "It's strange. I'm a naturally cynical person, so the more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems."

"But, you're pretty and smart," he replies without even a moment of hesitation. "Wouldn't everyone want to date you?" He seems genuinely confused as to why I asked him as though his answer should have been obvious. I still don't get it though.

"Even with my horrible personality?" I ask.

"What are you talking about, Kimikocchi? The more I get to know you, the more I like you," he replies. Somehow, he looks so earnest when he says that. He smiles at me and I find myself at a loss for words for a moment.

I laugh. "You've got a weird taste in people." I couldn't stand him when I thought he was a total airhead, but he's proven himself to be pretty smart too. I can appreciate that. I glance at a cafe further down the street and decide, "Well, since I'm out anyways, I suppose that I'll get something to eat. Do you want to come with me?"

"Huh? Really?" Kise asks. I nod and he jumps up and cheers. "I'm so happy, Kimikocchi! This is the first time you invited me somewhere!"

He hugs me from behind and I feel my cheeks flush immediately. "W-What do you think you're doing?!" I exclaim. I try to slip out of his arms, but he's hugging me pretty tightly. "Oi! Kise! KISE!" I look up at him and I see him smiling down at me smugly. "At least let me go home and change then. I'm all sweaty." He doesn't look like he's going to stop anytime soon. I sigh. "Can I make a trade with you?" He seems to consider it. After a moment, he lets me go and takes my hand instead, lacing his fingers between mine. My cheeks continue to burn.

"You're so cute, Kimikocchi."

"S-Shut up... It's not like I've done this before..."